Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry
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Artist unknown, Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry, ca 1745, oil on canvas, 81.3 cm × 65.5 cm |
In 2006, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) designated Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry (1682–1756) a person of national historic importance. It highlighted his remarkable contribution to the development of New France through the quality, variety, importance and scope of his work in the fields of military engineering, civil and religious architecture, and urban planning. His expertise, typical of French engineers, found expression at many sites now located in Canada and the United States. He helped to develop numerous places that still today bear witness to the French presence in America.
After a short stay in Canada to assess the colony's defence needs, Chaussegros de Léry returned to take up the post of Chief Engineer, which he filled from 1719 to 1756. He designed and, starting from 1745, built the fortifications of Québec City – designated by the HSMBC and regarded as his masterwork since the fortifications were the keystone of the colony's defence system. During his 40-year career, he built or strengthened other defence works throughout the colony, including the fortifications of Montréal and Fort Chambly. He also constructed public buildings, both civil and religious. Among his projects in Québec City were the New Barracks, a wing of the Château Saint-Louis (designated by the HSMBC in 2002), and work on the Intendant's Palace, the Jesuit Church and Notre Dame Cathedral (designated by the HSMBC in 1989). He contributed to the urban planning of Québec City and Montréal by laying out roads and planning public squares.
